— Australia —

Australia’s Top 5 eco-friendly Stays

WRITTEN BY Editor • June 12, 2014

Seeing green: Mountain Villa, O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat

Get out into nature, help out with conservation, have face to face wildlife encounters and then retire to comfy eco-friendly accommodation. These choice eco hotels are certainly worth the trek (from Natural Australia: 16 Ultimate Escapes).

1. Bloomfield Lodge: Remote control

Bloomfield Lodge, on top of Forbes magazine’s World’s Best Remote Hotels list, sports delicious water views from every room – and, of course, a spa and infinity pool. A sublime place to base yourself for a trek through the Daintree or for a spot of sport-fishing too. See more: Ultimate Escapes:Queensland’s Wet Tropics.

2. Lady Elliott Island: Play citizen scientist

This 41-room island resort allows you to play “citizen scientist” – helping with research into the Great Barrier Reef and the area’s manta rays. The unpretentious Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, the closest Reef island to Brisbane, is a snug 42 hectares – and ready for all the snorkelling, swimming and reef walking you can stand. Gape in wonder and watch turtles hatch too. See more: Ultimate Escapes: Great Barrier Reef

3. Wildman Wilderness Lodge: Wetlands glamping

In the heart of Mary River Wetlands, between Darwin and Kakadu National Park, Wildman Wilderness Lodge has environmentally sensitive, timber-floored safari tents decked out with king-size beds, plump pillows, ensuites and shady verandas. Learn about the area’s diverse ecology on an adventure flight or fishing tour, or walk or bike through flood plains, lazily watching as dragonflies and butterflies skim the wetlands. See more: Ultimate Escapes: Timeless North

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4. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat: The Lamington playground

There are 160 kilometres of trails and 500 waterfalls right in O’Reilly’s backyard (subtropical World Heritage Lamington National Park) so you won’t want for something outdoorsy to do. It’s a Noah’sArk for birdwatchers too with the likes of the spotted quail-thrush and the red-browed treecreeper casually flapping around you. At the end of the day, surrender to O’Reilly’s Lost World Spa. See more: Ultimate Escapes: Green Cauldron

5. Eco Beach Resort: Eco animal farm

An hour south of Broome, Eco Beach Resort is an Indian Ocean fauna outpost of great note: ‘roos and wallabies snacking on grass in the dunes, flocks of migratory birds passing by. You can monitor nesting turtles or, if the timing’s right, jump aboard a humpback whale-watching expedition. See more: Ultimate Escapes: The Kimberley